It’s the charm of summer. The moment when, in pre-season, the various staffs of pro clubs will invite young people from the club to show what they have in mind in the midst of experienced players.- This year again, Racing Club de Lens does not no violation of its rules. Since the resumption at the end of June, “reservists” like Tom Pouilly or Yacouba Barry try their luck. even younger, Ismaelo Ganiou (2005, U17 last season), skipped a class to find himself right in the middle of Kevin Danso and Jonathan Gradit. However, he did not take part in the match against Valenciennes last Friday.
And then there is Koto Camara, 20 years old, already present in summer preparation a year ago. The player arrived in Artois last summer fromAS Dakar Sacred Heart (D1, Senegal) where he signed up for three seasons. And after a very difficult season, he could see better days.
A bumpy first season
Arrived as part of a post-formation in July 2021, Mamadou Camara had to acclimatize with the reserve team led by Yohan Demont. Author of a big pre-season, he finally disappeared from the radar screens little by little. Blame it on pubic discomfort that he dragged on for many months. Camara finally left the infirmary for good between December and January. But there again, you shouldn’t skip the stages, heading to the reserve. Except that as often at this time in National 2, pitches are often impassable and matches are postponed from week to week. Not practical to resume the rhythm after so many months of stopping.
We ended up seeing him again on the lawn of the Stade François Blin. A rise in power which translates into a good understanding on the ground with Samba Sow which needle him in his role. Aligned in particular against Bobigny and his ultra-athletic players, Koto ended up with his hands on his kneecaps. But it’s the job that comes in and he ended up beefing up his game over the weeks. His hobby? The big hits long distance which explode the gloves of the opposing goalkeeper. He passed a few. Especially against Reims B in March.
Assets: Discipline, Race, Pass
Otherwise, it is typically the player who progresses the game. A high volume of play and breaking passes forward. Koto Camara has this ability to turn around and steer the game by absorbing the opponent’s load behind his back. The player manages the pressure perfectly and smells the right shots to launch his teammates in the right direction and at the right tempo. A little Seko Fofana for once. All he has left is keep pace at the highest level over a long period. Because with such a volume of play, fatigue is quickly felt in the 20-year-old player. Lots of information to take into account for rapid progress. Koto Camara took a bit of a hit at the end of last season with a homesickness and relatives who remain more than 4,000 kilometers away all the same.
Ambition Ligue 1
A little slack quickly swept away with the arrival of this summer preparation. Camara had fun to martyrize the goal from Valenciennes Sy. First, a big shot under the bar, then a perfectly placed header from a corner. All in 4 minutes. Obviously all smiles at the end of this opposition, the Senegalese knows he has a card to play. He is surely one of the greatest potential of this second team from Racing Club de Lens. It is in any case one of the elements that show the most guarantees for integrate rotation of the Ligue 1 group. Otherwise, Racing can always explore the loan option at a lower level to guarantee him playing time, elsewhere than in N3 with the reserve. Wait and see.
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